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<div id="byline">ρ Rho Framework Documentation</div>
<h1>Overview of the Rho Framework</h1>

<p>Rho is an application development framework.  It's designed to help you write modern web applications in PHP
faster by providing code for common features, and automating repetitive tasks.</p>

<p>Unlike some other frameworks, it's lightweight (in size and memory consumption),
 and tries not to force the programmer into a rigid way of doing things where possible.</p>
 
<p>Rho is also designed to flexibe, and uses a driver-based system where possible.</p>
 
<h2>Features</h2>

<ul>
  <li>Fast &amp; efficient.  Uses PHP's native functions as much as possible.  Loads files on-demand, 
  uses lazy initialisation and evaluation where appropiate. Does not depend on PEAR or other large libraries.</li>
  <li>Provides the following modules, loaded as need (except core): </li>
    <ul>
      <li>Core: Basic utilities, including exception and error handling, controller dispatch, and input filtering</li>
      <li>Flexible logging system</li>
      <li>Server-side caching, using files or APC. Driver based.</li>
      <li>Thin Database abstraction layer. Driver based.</li>
      <li>Authorisation framework. Driver based.</li>
      <li>i18n functions - easily produce multi-lingual websites.</li>
      <li>Extendable Input validation.</li>
      <li>Form handling</li>
      <li>Form generation</li>
    </ul>
  <li>Object Orientated</li>
  <li>Search engine & human friendly URLs.</li>
  <li>Uses the <a href="mvc.html">MVC</a> pattern.</li>
  <li>Uses UTF-8 as standard.</li>
  <li>Based on real-life,practical experience, not theory.</li>
  <li>Provides a simple HTML template controller from the start.</li>
  <li>Proper interaction with the HTTP protocol.</li>
  <li>Handles Server and client side caching.</li>
  <li>Improves security, through input filtering, validation, and field data escaping.</li>
  <li>Well documented.</li>
  <li>Still allows direct access to <span class="var">$_GET</span>, <span class="var">$_POST</span> etc. where needed.</li>
  <li>Provides fixes for multibyte strings and JSON when normal libraries not present.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Cons</h2>

<p>Nothing's perfect afterall.</p>
<ul>
  <li>Not designed for beginners - it's aimed at developers with solid programming experience.</li>
  <li>PHP 5 only</li>
  <li>It won't write your application or website for you.</li>
  <li>Doesn't make the coffee (yet)</li>
</ul>

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